


A New Promise

by the_rennwood_dreamer



Category: Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Divergence - Revenge of the Sith, F/M, Movie: Star Wars: A New Hope
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-02
Updated: 2017-01-11
Packaged: 2018-09-14 03:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9158152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_rennwood_dreamer/pseuds/the_rennwood_dreamer
Summary: "She is a mother and she loves her children dearly," Obi-Wan murmured. "It would kill her to lose one of them. I think if we choose a system far enough away from the Core, they will have a measure of safety. I plan to stay with them, to protect them and to train the children." ...Alternate ending to RotS, retelling of A New Hope. AU.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! Thank you SO much for checking this out-- I'm excited to be sharing it with all you wonderful humans :)  
> Let me know what you think, and please enjoy this alternate take on the Star Wars universe!!!  
> <3

<><><><><><><>

The hall was silent, save for the soft sound of breathing . . . but even that was hushed.  
The two men stood, rigid, ten seconds seeming like ten hours. The light in the hall, though dim, felt like a hundred suns, their rays burning holes in their backs. The slight whirr of a medical droid interrupted the blessed silence as it made its seemingly-slow approach. “Her trachea was damaged significantly. She will recover in time,” its eerily human-like voice said, far too loudly for their tastes, “but if we do not operate quickly, the babies may die. Do we have permission to continue with the operation?”  
“Yes, of course,” he murmured.  
“Wait, babies?” The other man blinked, incredulous.  
“Yes, sir,” the medical droid said. “She’s carrying twins.” The droid turned back to the room Padmé lay in.  
Obi-Wan rubbed his chin in thought and fixed his gaze on the operating table as the hall returned to silence once more.

<><><><><><><>

“How are you feeling?” Obi-Wan murmured as he crept into the medical room. Padmé looked up and adjusted her hold on Leia.  
“Better than before. Thank you.” Her voice was rough and quiet.  
“You look well.”  
Padmé nodded and smiled tiredly. The room was silent.  
Obi-Wan picked up a sleeping Luke, gently cradling the baby as if he were made of glass.  
“What did you decide?” Padmé asked. Obi-Wan sighed and went to stand by her bed.  
“Padmé,” he started. “You must know now that you are a dear friend to me and I would never do anything to hurt you. Right now, all the decisions we make are what we truly believe is best for the twins, the Jedi Order, and the Republic. The Empire must not find these babies. You know that.”  
Padmé nodded. Obi-Wan continued: “Master Yoda and I believe that the safest thing we can do for Luke and Leia . . .” Luke began to fuss. The Jedi bounced him gently, then gave him to Padmé. Luke calmed immediately and reached a tiny hand out to wrap his fingers around Leia’s fist. Obi-Wan rubbed his beard and swallowed. “We’ve decided they need to be separated.”  
Eyes growing wide, Padmé unconsciously tightened her grip on the babies. Obi-Wan sank onto the edge of her bed.  
“You’re not serious!” she whispered.  
The Jedi nodded, his eyes searching Padmé’s for any hint of understanding. “Their combined strength in the Force is too noticeable. As they grow older and stronger, Palpatine will have no trouble locating them. But if they are separated, they still have a chance. Bail had mentioned bringing Leia to Alderaan to be raised in the Court. He and his wife would care for her as their own child until she is old enough to meet you and Luke.”  
Padmé was uncharacteristically silent for a long time. Then, in scarcely more than a whisper, she said, “Where will you take Luke?”  
“Master Yoda suggested Tatooine, where Anakin’s relatives are.”  
“No.” Padmé shook her head. “It’s too much of a risk. Ana-Vader might find him there.”  
Obi-Wan nodded. “I agree.” He took Luke again, cradling the baby and stroking his face. “Wherever he goes, I plan to stay, to train him when he is old enough.”  
“Are you sure you want to train him?”  
Obi-Wan knew what she meant. Did he want a repeat of what happened to Anakin? No.  
“Yes,” he sighed. “He may be our only hope for defeating the Empire.”  
“The last time you put such a big responsibility on your apprentice, it didn’t end well.” There was a frightening edge to her voice.  
“The last time, I was young, blind, and inexperienced. I have learned from my mistakes, Padmé. And I made quite a few of them. With Luke . . . This time, you will be there. And . . . he is not his father. Anakin was angry with me for a number of reasons, and furious at the Jedi for taking him from his mother, then never letting him see her again. I promise you, I will not make the same mistakes with Luke.”  
Padmé gazed at her son. Then, quietly, she said, “I will take your word for it.”  
Obi-Wan inclined his head in thanks. After a while, he asked, “Do you agree that the twins must be separated?”  
“No. Every part of me is saying they need to stay together. They shouldn’t grow up without each other . . .”  
“Remember: If Palpatine find them, he will turn them into monsters. They have the capacity to be as powerful as Anakin was. Combined, perhaps even more. Palpatine would turn them into puppets to his will. We are only doing this to keep them safe.”  
“I understand that. But you can’t ask a mother to knowingly part with her child!”  
“Can’t I?” Obi-Wan leaned forward imploringly. “I know, for a fact, that a mother will always do what is best for her children.”  
Padmé’s eyes were like daggers piercing his soul. “And what if you’re wrong? What if the best thing to do is to keep them together so they can be twice as strong together?! Siblings are not meant to be separated, and what if I meet Leia later and she thinks I was playing favorites? That I didn’t want her so I gave her to the Organas! I can’t do that.”  
Obi-Wan didn’t have the heart to speak.  
After a while, Padmé whispered, “Is Anakin really gone?”  
“I know,” he said slowly, “that Vader is very much alive. But whatever remained of my brother Anakin before is now either destroyed or buried forever under darkness. I do not think there is much hope for him.”  
Silence reigned for a long time. It was an uncomfortable, grating silence, broken only by the occasional whimper from one of the babies.  
Finally, when Obi-Wan was deciding on a way to excuse himself, Padmé murmured, “Dantooine.”  
“Excuse me?”  
She sighed, not meeting the Jedi’s gaze. “There’s a forest planet called Dantooine, in the Outer Rim, without much around it. There are friendly settlements, but most of them are fairly primitive. . .”  
“You want to hide there.” It was not a question.  
“Yes.”  
“And keep both children.”  
“Of course!”  
Obi-Wan sighed, stood, and placed Luke in his crib. “I will speak with Master Yoda.”  
A slight smile touched Padmé’s face. “Thank you.”  
The Jedi inclined his head, then turned and exited swiftly. 

<><><><><><><>

As he strode through the halls, Obi-Wan contemplated what Padmé had said: that a mother would not willingly part with her child. But hadn’t his own mother done just that? He wondered if it had been simple for his mother to give him away, or if she had cried and begged them not to take her son. Or perhaps she saw that becoming a Jedi would be the best thing for him. . . After all, parents always tried to do what was best for their children.  
Perhaps, when Padmé and the twins found a home, he would go to his home planet Stewjon to find his family. . .  
Obi-Wan was so absorbed in his thoughts, he failed to notice the small, green Jedi Master in his path until he was nearly stepping on him. Obi-Wan came to a screeching halt, disguising his awkward stumble as a bow.  
“Master Yoda,” he greeted.  
Yoda raised a critical eyebrow and smirked up at Obi-Wan. “Master Kenobi. Speak with you, I must.”  
“I was on my way to speak with you, also.”  
“Regarding Senator Amidala, hmm?”  
“Yes, Master.”  
“Come.” The green Jedi hobbled away, leaning on his gimer stick. Obi-Wan turned and followed him.  
The pair soon arrived at a sterile, white room that featured only three low, blue chairs and a table to match. Yoda settled himself into the nearest chair, seeming perfectly at home. Obi-Wan perched nervously next to him.  
“Master,” Obi-Wan started. “I was speaking with Padmé, and she insists we let her stay with both twins.”  
“Agree with this, you do?”  
“To an extent, Master. I believe it will be safer for all of them if they are separated. . . But, to be honest, I understand her perspective. She is a mother and she loves her children dearly. It would kill her to lose one of them. I think if we choose a system far enough away from the Core, they will have a measure of safety. I plan to stay with them, to protect them and to train the children.”  
Yoda bowed his head in thought. “If the will of the Force this is, obey it you must.” He sighed. “Trust you I do, to make the right decision.”  
“Thank you, Master.”  
“Where will you take them?”  
“Padmé suggested Dantooine. It’s close to Naboo, where her family is, but not so close that it’s dangerous for them.”  
Yoda nodded. “Very good. Now, work I have for you, during your time on Dantooine. Contact I have made with someone in the netherworld of the Force. Someone who has learned the secret of immortality.”  
“Who was it?”  
“Your old master.”  
Obi-Wan leaned forward in his seat, eyes wide. “Qui-Gon!”  
Yoda nodded solemnly. “Teach you, he will. . . Obi-Wan, farewell this is. I will go to Dagobah to learn what Master Jinn has.”  
“Well then, farewell, Master Yoda. . . Until we meet again.”  
Both Jedi stood and bowed simultaneously.  
“Obi-Wan,” Yoda said quietly. “Take good care of the children, you must. Enough of the future I can see to know that they will be very, very important in the fight against the Empire. Train them well.”  
“Yes, Master.”  
“May the Force be with you, Master Kenobi.”  
“May the Force be with you also, Master Yoda.”

<><><><><><><>

Obi-Wan leaned his head back, breathing slowly and purposely. He shifted, adjusting his back, which was disagreeing with him. “Sore” was an understatement. The seat he occupied was anything but comfortable. He considered going to the back of the ship so he could lay down and sleep for a few minutes, but they were nearly at their destination and he didn’t want to wake Padmé before he had to.  
The trip to Dantooine took twenty-one hours in hyperspace. The twins had been annoyed and they constantly wailed their displeasure for the first few hours. As of now, they were sleeping in an extra room, while Padmé took a long-needed nap. Obi-Wan had employed R2-D2 with watching the babies so Padmé could sleep and he could fly the ship. There was one hour left, and it couldn’t go by fast enough.  
Obi-Wan sighed, closing his eyes and kicking his feet onto the dashboard. That was something he would have scolded Anakin for doing, but desperate times call for desperate measures.  
During the trip, the adults had hardly spoken with each other, unless necessary. All that had transpired in the last few weeks was finally taking its toll on them. It had been one week since the twins were born. Obi-Wan and Padmé had stayed on Polis Massa to let her recover, then after sending C-3PO and warm wishes with Bail Organa, they crowded onto Padmé’s small cruiser with the twins and R2-D2. Obi-Wan had been concerned that arriving with a Royal Nubian Cruiser on a fairly undeveloped planet would raise suspicion. So they stopped at a spaceport, sold the cruiser, then bought an even smaller vessel that was meant for two people. There were two beds in cramped rooms, one lumpy, age-old couch, and a kitchen unit. Obi-Wan had settled himself into the cockpit, and there he’d stayed for the last twelve hours. He’d tried lying down on the two seats, but that was even more uncomfortable than staying upright.  
He rolled his head, hearing all sorts of joints crack. I’m getting too old for this sort of thing, he thought wryly, running a hand through his newly-cut hair. He and Padmé had dressed as refugees fleeing the destruction of Coruscant. After a bit of discussion, they decided to pose as a married couple, since anything else would raise questions that couldn’t be answered. Obi-Wan decided to change his name to Ben, and Padmé agreed to take the name Pooja Kenobi, though with extreme reluctance. He had asked her about that and she’d answered: “Anakin and I were legally married. My actual surname should be Skywalker.”  
She had also told him that it was a blessing that Luke’s hair and eyes matched his own, since he would be masquerading as the boy’s father. He’d smiled grimly and a wave of agony passed between the two.  
Though it was only an hour, it felt like five before the control panel started to blink and beep, signaling their arrival at Dantooine. Padmé woke and strapped herself into the copilot’s seat. Then they began their descent into a new life.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi again! I realized having just a prologue is no fun, so I gave in and posted this sooner than I had originally planned :) I want to keep a once-a-week schedule, so maybe on Saturdays?
> 
> Also, I feel like I should clarify. This story will take place in the A New Hope time. I will have flashbacks (some maybe a chapter long) to the first years on Dantooine, but after these next couple of chapters, things will get darker and grittier, which is how I like my AU's. :) This is mostly a sort of filler/catching up chapter.
> 
> Enjoy!

Luke Kenobi held his breath and strained his eyes against the darkness. Something brushed against his arm and he jerked in surprise. But then he reached out and grabbed it. A slight squeak followed his action. He tightened his grip. "Stay here," he hissed. "And stay quiet."

"There's nothing in here, Luke." The voice was quieter than his. "Tahyo said so."

"Tahyo has never been here."

"How would you know?"

"Father said so."

"How would he know?"

Luke clenched his jaw. "He just does, now stop arguing and let me think."

Leia let out a huff. "I think this is a waste of time."

"But you agreed to come with me." He took a few steps forward, then reached for his belt and found a light. The white glow illuminated the walls and the floor nicely.

"Only because no one else would."

Luke didn't answer. They kept walking.

All of a sudden, their footsteps began to echo ominously, and instead of hard, packed dirt, a mottled, shining substance appeared under their feet. Leia squeezed her brother's elbow. "Look up."

Luke did. About three hundred feet above where they stood was the ceiling. It sloped up, ending in a point. Around it, on three of the walls, were about fifty balconies, all decorated with swirling designs and animals. The floor was perfectly square, about a hundred feet on each side. The floor shone brightly, despite being covered in a layer of dust. The embellishments on the walls glinted pure gold. On the opposite end of the room was a huge slab of stone, chiseled and ground to shining perfection. On it stood three statues; people dressed in flowing robes, holding staffs and books. Each wore a crown varying in size and shape.

Luke and Leia both stood, unmoving as the statues, with their mouths hanging slightly open. Finally Leia spoke.

"It feels like . . . we're intruding."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, taking one last sweeping glance and backing out, into the hall they came from.

<><><><><><><>

Father was waiting for them when they returned. He had an amused glint in his eyes, but a stern set to his mouth. Luke smiled sheepishly and stared at his shoes. "Hello, Father."

Leia echoed his greeting. "We were just—"

Father held up a hand. "No false stories, please. I would like the whole truth this time."

The twins glanced at each other, then back at their father.

"We went to—"

"We were just—"

"The old temple—"

"Exploring, you know, because—"

"Just curious—"

"No one's ever gone, and—"

Father sighed and rubbed his temples. "One at a time, please."

Luke backed up slightly, and Leia took a breath. "We went to the old temple because we were curious and everyone else is afraid of it and we thought we could take a peek because it can't really be all that bad, right?"

Father raised one eyebrow.

Leia continued: "And we were going to come right back, but actually Luke talked me into it so it's sort of really his fault . . . ." she trailed off, glancing back at her brother, who fixed her with a glare.

There were a few moments of silence. Then, holding both hands out, Father said, "Comlinks, please."

The twins sighed, both placing their coms into his hand.

"Now," he said, "go inside. Your mother has supper."

They immediately perked up and jogged to the house, arguing the whole way.

Obi-Wan tilted his head back, pocketing the coms and staring up at the stars.

The stars . . .

It had been fifteen years since he had last traveled the stars, and, in a strange way, he missed them. But since then, he had lived with a fear of them too. He had a fear that one day, a patch of them would be blocked by some Imperial ship, from which would step. . . Obi-Wan shook his head. Padmé always rebuked him for that kind of thinking. "We're safe here," she would always say. "We established that already." He knew she said that for herself as well as him. She had confided in him earlier that she was terrified of Vader. She no longer considered herself attached to him, though Obi-Wan had a feeling she still loved Anakin.

Ah yes. Anakin. Obi-Wan didn't like masquerading as the twins' father, though he supposed he was, to an extent. According to this planet's system, he and Padmé were legally married. They had thought it best. The people on Dantooine were awfully strict about such matters; they didn't count a couple married until they had completed it with their local ceremony. And if they wanted to live there without being found out, they would have to avoid conflict as much as possible. So a week after they arrived, "Ben and Pooja Kenobi" were officially wed, in the eyes of the people of Dantooine. It was strange at first, calling Padmé his wife. That privilege belonged to Anakin. But Padmé had told him one day that she used the Holonet to access a program permitted only to the Queen of Naboo, and there she annulled herself and Anakin's marriage. Obi-Wan wondered about the wisdom of that. If Vader ever found out, he would be beyond furious. Obi-Wan snorted to himself. If Vader found out about any of this, that his old master and previous wife were hiding with his children, he would possibly destroy this entire village . . . or this entire planet. Obi-Wan shuddered at the thought.

The sound of sniffling behind him brought Obi-Wan out of his thoughts. He turned around and was immediately enveloped in small arms. "Little one," he murmured, returning the embrace. "What's wrong?"

The girl shook her head and buried her face further into his tunic. Obi-Wan stroked her hair slowly, suddenly remembering that twelve years ago tomorrow, Cordé Kenobi was born.

"Father?" the girl whispered.

"Yes, Cordé?"

She was quiet for a moment. "Mama is mad again."

"Cordé, listen. You mother is not mad." Obi-Wan closed his eyes, a wave of guilt washing over him. Padmé had an interesting way of dealing with any kind of strong, frustrated emotion, and that was snapping at everyone around her, then arguing. The older children had learned this early on and accepted it, because Leia did the same thing. But Cordé was still young and a bit more sheltered by her siblings. When her mother was on the more frustrated side, the ten-year-old, with her ever-so-tender heart, thought she had done something to make her mother mad.

"I know she seems that way," Obi-Wan continued, pulling his daughter back to look firmly into her eyes. "She is frustrated. She will calm down in a while. She's had a hard day. Do you understand?"

Cordé nodded. Her father wiped her tears away. "Have you had supper yet?"

She shook her head. "Well," Obi-Wan said, "I think it's time for some food. And maybe a square of chocolate after," he added with a wink. Cordé's eyes lit up, and she smiled.

<><><><><><><>

"Are you feeling alright?" The twins and Cordé were in their rooms and Padmé and Obi-Wan had the couch to themselves. The house was sparsely furnished, and it was a daily battle to see who would get the couch first after supper. "Cordé was worried again."

Padmé sighed, swirling her tea around in her mug. "I feel so bad about that. I just . . . This last week has been hard and I try to keep my emotions in control, but . . ."

"It's alright. She knows you mean no harm." Obi-Wan rubbed her shoulder absently. "How are you feeling?"

"Better now." She offered a small smile. He could sense she didn't want to talk about it. "How is the kids' training going?"

"Very well. They are making amazing progress." He had begun training the twins when they were five, then four years later, Cordé began.

There was a comfortable silence. Padmé leaned her head against Obi-Wan's shoulder and closed her eyes. He thought she'd gone to sleep when she suddenly said, "In one week is the twins' sixteenth birthday."

Every year it was the same routine. When Luke and Leia's birthday came around, Padmé became emotional and irritable. Obi-Wan knew it was because that same day marked the fall of Anakin . . . the loss of what good might have remained in Vader's soul. It had become worse as the years went on.

"Yes, it is."

"They've grown so much . . . And tomorrow is Cordé's birthday."

Obi-Wan smiled. Though he loved the twins dearly, he held a special place in his heart for his flesh-and-blood daughter. Padmé knew this. She grinned and nudged his ribs. "You always look so happy when I mention her."

He laughed suddenly. "She's a special girl."

"They all are."

"Yes, Luke included."

Padmé punched his arm.

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "You know I love them."

"I've never questioned it."

Obi-Wan leaned his head back, still grinning. This was something he never thought he would experience: having a family. The Jedi forbade attachments, with only one exception. They let one of their Council members have a family since his race was dying out slowly. Nothing was happening to Obi-Wan's race, but here he was anyway, with a wife and three children. Granted, two weren't technically his . . .

Details, details.

He had discussed the matter of marrying Padmé with Qui-Gon Jinn, who had appeared one day while Obi-Wan was wandering the land surrounding their house more than fourteen years ago. Obi-Wan had explained the matter of the culture on Dantooine, and Qui-Gon had agreed with him. He'd said that he believed a little change couldn't hurt, especially since the Jedi Order technically no longer existed. He'd understood that Padmé needed someone to help her, and the twins needed a father. He reminded his old apprentice to teach the children not to be afraid of change, and to encourage them to form attachments. That had taken Obi-Wan completely by surprise. After being questioned, Qui-Gon answered that he truly believed the same attachments that the Jedi were so afraid of were actually beneficial in the long run. They helped to ground people; to help them realize the true nature of life.

Obi-Wan had taken his master's advice to heart. For the first time in his life, he allowed himself to love someone (four people, actually) openly, and he never failed to remind them.

As much as he loved Padmé those first three years, it had taken her that long to accept it and even return it. But he was infinitely glad she did. Cordé was a living example of that love.

Speaking of which . . .

"What do you want to do for Cordé tomorrow?"

Padmé looked up with a smile. "The twins have a surprise, and I've collected supplies to make a cake."

Obi-Wan nodded appreciatively. "I have a few little presents too."

Birthdays were extravagant affairs for the Kenobis. Sugar and extra gifts were short in supply on Dantooine. The few small settlements got by just fine, but everyone worked hard for what they earned. Obi-Wan had a job as a mechanic; one that Luke and Leia helped with. They grew most of their own food, but some things had to be imported from the Core worlds. And those things cost money. On birthdays, the special person received a cake and a few gifts. Then Obi-Wan and the twins took time off work and they would choose somewhere special to go.

"Oh," Padmé said, "Tahyo and Brigit were going to drop over next week for the twins' birthday."

"Good."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence again. Obi-Wan smiled, contemplating for the millionth time how much he loved his family.

<><><><><><><>

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this was mostly a filler chapter, leading up to the meat of the story. I know, Obidala is a really out-there ship, but I plan on going back in later chapters to see how, exactly, it ended up happening (There's more to it than you see right now). :) So bear with me!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> To be continued...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, everyone! Thanks so much for coming with me on this journey :) This chapter is, again, sort of a filler, as is the next, but I can't wait to share chapter 4 with you all, because it really gets the plot going.   
> I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

It was strange to see two years pass by as if it were two months. Luke supposed it was because he was getting older. Today he was eighteen. He was an adult. He could marry and build a house and start a new job instead of being apprenticed to his father. But, to be honest, he liked his life. He loved his family and was reluctant to leave.   
He settled himself onto a fallen tree, gazing out over the cliff, across the landscape where the first pink glow of sunrise lit the sky. He felt a presence behind him, though the person made no sound.   
“Hey, you.”  
Leia sighed. “It will never work, will it?”  
Luke smiled. “You know it’s impossible. So you should just stop trying.”  
“Oh, but it’s way too much fun. One of these days you’ll be surprised.”  
“Sure. Just keep telling yourself that.”  
Leia grinned and sat next to her brother. “Happy birthday.”  
“Thanks. Back at you.” They were quiet for a while.  
“Pretty, isn’t it?” She motioned to the slowly-rising sun.  
“Always is.”  
She furrowed her eyebrows. “Something wrong?”  
Luke shrugged. “It’s just weird to be old.”  
“We’re not old.”   
“Older than we used to be.”  
Leia smirked.   
Luke rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”  
She became serious all of a sudden. “What else is wrong?”  
Luke shifted, leaning his elbows on his knees. “I don’t know. It’s just . . . I know these weeks are hard for Mother every year, but this time . . . This year, Father seems different too, somehow.”  
“You think it’s the same reason?”  
“Probably.”  
“And what is that?”  
“You know as much as I do.”  
“Could it have something to do with . . . ‘Mustafar’?”  
Years ago, during their birthday week, the twins had been up, wanting a drink of water. The adults were on the couch, and Mother was crying. They heard something about ‘Mustafar’ and ‘Anakin,’ but never thought much about it. But then, a few years later, a similar thing happened and they began to put the pieces together.  
“Maybe.”  
They were quiet again.   
“There’s something big Mother and Father aren’t telling us.”  
Luke looked up. “How can you tell?”  
Leia shrugged. “A feeling . . . And the Force.”  
He nodded. “I think it’s time we got answers, don’t you?”  
She smirked. “Shy, timid Luke is growing up.”  
“Real funny. I’m older than you!”  
“By about five point two seconds.”  
“I’m still older.”

<><><><><><><>

“Are you sure he’ll like it?”  
Obi-Wan looked up. “Of course he will.”  
Cordé ran her hand along the belly of the X-wing. She grinned as she admired her father’s handiwork. “You think Luke would let me fly it?”  
“You’ll have to ask him.”   
In some ways, the physics and logic of which Obi-Wan questioned, Cordé seemed more like Anakin than Obi-Wan. Maybe it was the twins’ influence, because he could say with absolute and unquestioning certainty that he was, indeed, Cordé’s father. But her love of piloting or riding anything that moved said differently. Maybe that was Padmé coming out and not Anakin at all. Or maybe it was just Luke’s influence.   
“He probably won’t let me.”  
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. “You underestimate him.”  
Cordé smiled. “Would you let me?”  
“No.”   
She chuckled. “That’s what I thought.”  
At fourteen, Cordé was unusually mature for her age. She was only a bit taller than Padmé, but mature nonetheless. She had an uncanny ability to read into people’s emotions and control her actions based off her findings. This caused her to act older than she was, and it caused people to treat her as such. She took mainly after her mother in appearance, with dark hair and intelligent brown eyes. Her jaw was strong and determined, also like her mother. But Obi-Wan saw himself in her too. He saw it in the way she took a debate coolly and led it around to the way she intended for it to end, and in her dry sense of humor.   
But even with that maturity and reliability, it would take another few years for him to allow his youngest daughter to fly a dangerous ship out of the atmosphere. Especially a ship that was meant for people twice her age and with ten times her experience.   
“You’re not so strict with Luke and Leia.”  
Obi-Wan gave his daughter a long-suffering look. “Luke and Leia are four years older than you. They are now adults and can make their own decisions. And they can easily take care of themselves.”  
Cordé raised one eyebrow. “And I can’t?”  
“I never said that.”  
“It was implied!”  
He rested his hands on his hips, setting his jaw firmly. “First of all, the twins have more experience with flying. Second, you will not speak with me like that.”   
Cordé opened her mouth to reply, but a well-timed call from the kitchen cut her off. “Ben! Cordé! The twins are coming!”  
Both Kenobis’ eyes grew large, and they quickly laid the reflective shielding tarp over the X-wing. Then they turned back to the house and broke into a run.

<><><><><><><>

“Luke.”  
He looked up. “Yes, Father?”  
Obi-Wan kept a perfectly straight face. “When you’re finished, I’d like to show you something outside.”  
Luke furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded and returned to his third slice of cake.   
Padmé grinned, motioning for Cordé to help her clean the table off. When they were finished, the family gathered outside and followed Obi-Wan back into the woods. They soon came to a clearing, which appeared to be perfectly empty. Cordé grinned and ran ahead, whispering something in his father’s ear. He nodded, then turned to Luke.   
“Last year, I decided I wanted to do something very special for your eighteenth birthday, Luke. As the eldest child I believe you have the right to do with this gift whatever you wish, but I warn you to use it wisely. And, if you agree and she wishes, Leia may use it also.” Then he turned to Cordé, who looked about to explode, and nodded. She reached out, grabbed something from midair, and yanked. The air rippled, then came away in one big sheet, revealing the most beautiful sight Luke had ever laid eyes on.  
Leia yelped.  
Luke took a step forward in shock. “It—It’s for me?”  
Obi-Wan smiled, nodding encouragingly.   
Luke let out a short, gleeful laugh and reached out a hand to rest it on the nose of his X-wing fighter. “Seriously?”  
Cordé giggled childishly and ran to hug her brother. “You like it?”  
He laughed with her. “How could I not love it? Father, how did you get it?”  
Any kind of space ship was hard to find on Dantooine. Fighters, especially. Obi-Wan smiled slowly, winking. “I pulled a few strings.”  
And Luke could sense that was all he would say. He let out a long breath. Then he turned to his family, looking each individual in the eye. “Thank you. Really, thank you. This means a lot to me.” Leia smiled and came to embrace him.  
She knew what he meant. It meant that for the first time in his life, he was able to go where he wanted. He could leave Dantooine and start his own life. But that thought filled Leia with a terror she hated. She clenched her jaw, blinking back tears, then turned her head so her mouth was by her twin’s ear. “Just don’t leave yet, huh?”   
Luke held his sister just a bit tighter, then released her. He smiled at the rest of his family. “So when do I get to fly it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there it is! Thanks again for checking this out :) I promise, the plot will pick up soon enough :)   
> I might post the next chapter sooner, you never know!   
> Have a great weekend, everyone!   
> Until next time :D


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last "filler" chapter for a while!! The next one really gets the plot going, so stay tuned!   
> Enjoy!!!

"Gah!" Luke exclaimed, snapping his hand back and rubbing his palm. Cordé raised an eyebrow in question.

"You okay?"

He nodded, biting his lip.

Cordé sighed and held out her hand. "Let me see."

"No, seriously, it's fine. It just stings."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Boys and their pride. At least put some bacta on it when we get home."

Luke rolled his eyes, but grinned all the same.

He had decided earlier that day that the X-wing needed some cleaning, so he gathered his tools, his younger sister, R2-D2, and a bit of food, then settled himself in the clearing with the ship and began to work. Cordé helped enthusiastically. He knew she was trying to show their father that she was responsible enough to fly. Luke's personal opinion was that it was a lost cause. He doubted Father would let her use the ship until she was older, and until she proved herself with the skyhopper. He would never go against his father, but Luke personally believed she was both old enough and responsible enough. An X-wing wasn't so hard to fly. It just took a bit of getting used to.

He could sense her shift in mood before she asked her next question.

"Are you ever thinking of leaving?"

"Did you ask Leia the same thing?"

"Luke."

He sat back on his heels. "I'm serious! You guys all assume that I'm the one trying to get off this planet, but she's as old as me and has just as much ambition."

Cordé's brow creased. "She's not trying to fly dangerous ships and join the Rebellion."

"She wants to join the Rebellion as much as I do," he insisted. "And you. Just because Father won't let you talk about it doesn't mean you don't want to."

"So you're saying I want to disobey Father?"

Luke sighed. "No, I'm saying you really want to fly off this planet and do some good in the galaxy."

"So do you."

"You know we're talking ourselves in circles."

Cordé sighed in frustration. "You know what I think? I think Father and Mother are afraid of the Rebellion. That's why Father won't let me fly and that's why Mother doesn't want you and Leia to leave."

Luke glanced at her quizzically. "But they hate the Empire . . . ."

"If they did, they would let us do something about it! Instead, they're keeping us here for the rest of our lives. Do you feel like I do, Luke? Do you feel that pull to the stars? The feeling that someone has to do something, sometime, and you're that someone?" She dropped her tool and flipped her head back to stare at the sky. "I know there's something for me out there, and I know the Force is telling me to go, but Mother and Father are too afraid to notice."

Luke was quiet for a long, long time. Finally, he admitted, "Leia and I feel the same way. We've talked about it. We were going to talk to Mother and Father today. The Force is urging us, almost pushing us to talk to them."

"About what?"

He gave her a steady, firm look. "Everything."

<><><><><><><>

When all three of his children came at once that evening, standing firmly in front of himself of Padmé with determined looks on their faces, Obi-Wan had to reach deep into the Force to calm himself.

"Father," Leia said, her eyes betraying no emotions, "and Mother. We have to talk."

Once they had seated themselves at the table, Cordé got right to the heart of the problem. There was no beating around the bush in the Kenobi family. "We think you're afraid of the Rebellion."

That was so completely beyond anything Obi-Wan was expecting, he physically recoiled, eyes widening. He cleared his throat, glancing over at Padmé, who had the same expression as he guessed he did.

Luke cleared it up. "We're not saying you like the Empire. All we're saying is that in some weird way, you are afraid of the Rebellion and what they're trying to do."

Padmé sighed. "I guess there's no fooling you three." She smiled sadly, looking at Obi-Wan. "They're so much like their father."

He raised his eyebrows minutely, and Padmé responded with an almost-imperceptible tilt of her head. Obi-Wan sighed and placed his hands flat on the table, staring at them and searching for a way to say what he needed to . . . Finally he looked up and met the twins' eyes. "Luke, Leia . . . I suppose I should tell you now, and this may come across as harsh or insensitive or . . . anything else, and you will question my sanity, and that of your mother . . . But please believe me when I say that . . . I am not your father."

A pin could have been heard dropping in the silence that followed. Blue and brown eyes stared at him as Obi-Wan tried to convey his honesty through the Force.

"Well," Luke squeaked, then cleared his throat. "Well, then who is?"

"A man," Padmé said, "named Anakin . . ." Her voice caught, and Obi-Wan placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Anakin Skywalker," she finished.

"What happened to him?" Leia whispered.

"He died," Obi-Wan said flatly, staring at his hand which still rested on the table. "He was destroyed by Darth Vader."

"Is that what happened on Mustafar?" Luke asked, his voice uncharacteristically hard.

Padmé raised her eyebrows. "How do you know about that?"

"Twice," Leia said, "Luke and I were up at night and we heard you talking about 'Mustafar' and 'Anakin.'"

"Both times were right around our birthday."

"We thought I had something to do with that."

Both parents sighed.

"I think we should start from the beginning," Obi-Wan said. Then, he began to recall everything that happened that fateful day:

"First of all—and I know this is a lot to take in, but hear me out—my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi, not Ben. And your mother is Padmé, not Pooja. We changed our names for the same reason we came here: to stay safe from the Empire. Now, please don't say anything. I need to just tell you this. Your real father—Anakin—and I were both Jedi. He was my apprentice since he was nine, and a very good man. I thought I knew him, but he had always been a bit secretive. I didn't know that he was secretly married to your mother for three years, during the Clone Wars. But . . . Something happened to him, and I found out soon after. I also discovered that your mother was carrying you two.

"I told your mother what had happened to Anakin, and she rushed to Mustafar to find him. I snuck onto her ship and came with. It appeared I was right. Anakin had betrayed himself, and accepted the Dark Side of the Force in place of the Light."

"He'd had a dream," Padmé said, "a while back, that I died during child birth. He truly believed it was a vision, so he did everything he could to save me. But instead of keeping me from dying, what he did destroyed him."

"He was lied to by the Emperor and turned to the Dark path. Palpatine claimed he could save Padmé if he joined the Dark Side. On Mustafar, I fought him. I didn't want to kill him, but he was a threat, so I tried." He bowed his head, but continued. "He was like a brother to me, and I hated myself for betraying him. In the end, he didn't die, but was instead completely consumed by who he had become in the last few days. Darth Vader."

The twins showed no emotion.

"Why did you pretend to be our father?" Leia asked.

"We thought," Padmé sighed, "we could protect you better that way. There were so many families fleeing the Empire at that time, hiding on remote planets, that we thought it would be the safest thing to pretend we were a family too. We thought we could blend in. And the name 'Kenobi' is much, much more common than 'Skywalker.' That's why Ben—Obi-Wan and I changed our names. Does it make sense?"

The only answer was the sound of chairs scraping on the floor and two pairs of feet heading to their rooms.

Obi-Wan sighed, rubbing his temples wearily. "Well, that went well."

<><><><><><><>

"Father?" Cordé rubbed her hands together under the table, staring into her tea. Padmé had left to get some fresh air. The conversation had taken as much of a toll on her as it had the twins. "You're still . . . my father, right?"

"Yes, Cordé."

"Good." They were quiet for a long time. Finally Obi-Wan stood, walked around the table, and gathered his daughter in a fierce embrace.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry it had to come out this way."

"Don't tell me, Father." Her voice was shaky. "Tell the twins. They're taking this very harshly." A single tear rolled down her cheek to splash onto her father's shoulder. "I believe you, but . . . They love you and want to . . . believe you . . . But this is a lot to take in."

Obi-Wan held her, stroking her hair. "You're so much like your mother, you know that? I'm very, very proud of you." Then he let go, and disappeared through the door to find his wife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I didn't hold out the "I am your father" reveal. I guess I'm a terrible person. BUT I do have a reason for it. And that is that I really want the emphasis of this story to be something along the lines of that old phrase, "the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." Which, I guess, I want to translate to the question, "who is family?" Is family the people you are related to and are descended from, or is your family the people who were there every moment of your life and helped you through growing up?
> 
> I will address that again in later chapters with the twins. So know, for now, that everything that seems weird or off or strange is probably there for a reason :)
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading!!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> To be continued...


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